Celebrity Neighbor: My girlfriend is a big star?
Chapter 34. Self-deception

Chapter 34: 34. Self-deception

Two hours later, having washed away the smell of alcohol and changed into a beautiful dress, Bae Juhyun anxiously appeared at the doorstep of Liu Xin’an’s home, all dressed up again.

After all, she had promised yesterday that she would come to watch his live broadcast today, but the embarrassment of being drunk made her truly not want to face him at the moment.

But... Bae Juhyun’s most hated thing was those people who talked big.

Of course, she would never become such a person.

So, after much hesitation, she pressed the doorbell of Liu Xin’an’s home.

A series of footsteps followed, and the door opened, revealing Liu Xin’an in a white shirt and khaki trousers.

This was exactly the kind of refreshing outfit she liked, which made Bae Juhyun freeze for a moment before she looked up with an indifferent smile.

"I promised to come watch your live broadcast today, so here I am now!"

The slightly upturned tone at the end of her sentence revealed her good mood, as if Liu Xin’an had some kind of magic that could quickly cool her restless heart.

She didn’t want to ponder the reason behind it, stubbornly convincing herself that she viewed him as a lifesaver in her darkest moments.

Even now, she continued to deceive herself into believing that.

As for Liu Xin’an, he was simply stunned by Bae Juhyun in her light-colored dress.

Today’s Bae Juhyun had put on an extremely delicate makeup. Her already fair skin appeared even whiter against the light pink blush, and her pretty hair tied back into a ponytail gave her an elegant yet stunning aura.

But as stunning as she was, there was something Liu Xin’an didn’t quite understand.

"Now? But I haven’t started broadcasting yet."

Bae Juhyun’s smile froze on her face. This guy could be so dense it was speechless.

Could it be that he was planning to leave her standing at the door?

Please, she had made such an effort to act nonchalant, don’t reject her, Liu Xin’an! Otherwise, she would die of embarrassment.

Fortunately, Liu Xin’an was not that kind of boring guy.

He stepped aside, signaling Bae Juhyun to come in first.

"Come on in. I’ve only just woken up myself not long ago."

On the matter of circadian rhythm, Bae Juhyun had unconsciously synchronized herself with Liu Xin’an...

It was the same familiar living room, the minimalist decor, the dark TV screen, and the few leftover snacks on the coffee table from yesterday, all of which reminded Bae Juhyun of her embarrassing behavior the day before.

She pushed down the awkwardness in her heart, deliberately turning her face away, fearing that Liu Xin’an would notice the embarrassing blush on her cheeks.

"Have you already eaten? I was thinking of asking you out for a meal today as an apology..."

This statement set off alarm bells in Liu Xin’an’s heart. He cautiously increased the distance between him and Bae Juhyun, carefully saying, "I have to work this afternoon... so I can’t drink now."

This cautious tone dumbfounded Bae Juhyun, and after a moment of stunned silence, she wrinkled her little face, no longer caring about the blush on her cheeks.

"I won’t ask you to drink with me anymore!"

Yes, she was determined never to drink in front of Liu Xin’an ever again.

Although having drinks and chatting with Liu Xin’an or even sleeping over at his place after getting drunk was something she found comforting and enjoyable.

But the mortifying awkwardness that came with sobriety made it hard for her to hold her head high for a long time.

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Bae Juhyun answered Liu Xin’an’s question with grave seriousness, accompanied by a heavy sigh.

To be honest, it was truly embarrassing.

Between comfort and her pride, she wholeheartedly chose her pride.

"Then, I’ll help you carry those bottles of soju back to your place later."

"No! From now on, you drink, and I’ll watch."

Liu Xin’an felt that the girl must have some sort of serious problem.

But seeing Bae Juhyun’s serious expression, which didn’t seem like a joke, Liu Xin’an had no choice but to nod grudgingly in agreement.

"Would you like to eat something?"

There was still plenty of yesterday’s leftovers, and Liu Xin’an imagined he would be eating them until the evening if he were alone. Since Bae Juhyun was here, he simply offered.

Bae Juhyun nodded. She would definitely not drink any more soju, but she still needed to eat.

"Then I’ll go..."

"I can get it myself!" she interrupted Liu Xin’an, then got up and consciously walked into his kitchen. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and a bowl they would use soon.

Quickly, Bae Juhyun returned to the sofa with her bowl and chopsticks and sat down.

Today’s dress was long enough that there was no risk of it riding up while she was sitting on the sofa.

But today’s exceptionally well-behaved and gentle Bae Juhyun made Liu Xin’an, who was used to her previous behavior, feel an inexplicable awkwardness.

He quietly ate a few bites of his meal and then raised his eyes to stare at Bae Juhyun, who was eating with small bites.

This direct gaze made Bae Juhyun uncomfortable all over. She put down her chopsticks and subconsciously touched her face. Was there something wrong with her makeup?

"What’s the matter?"

"You’re acting so strange." he asked directly, the boring guy.

The cute smile that Bae Juhyun had been maintaining crumbled in an instant.

Wasn’t she just sincerely trying to erase her drunken image from Liu Xin’an’s mind!

She’s supposed to be a female idol! An idol!

And now she’s turned into a crazy woman who only knows how to pester others to drink every day!!

Oh my, if only Liu Xin’an could get amnesia right about now.

"What’s so strange?"

"It just feels awkward, I can’t quite put my finger on it."

If you can’t put your finger on it, then don’t mention it! — Bae Juhyun really wanted to snap back with that retort, but considering the little image she might have left in his mind, she suppressed the urge to make sarcastic comments.

"This is how I normally am."

Her explanation earned her a skeptical look from Liu Xin’an.

Fortunately, that look didn’t last too long, at least not before she blew her top, as Liu Xin’an retracted it.

"Want to watch TV? We didn’t finish that movie last time."

"Either is fine, what time does your live stream start?"

Liu Xin’an glanced at the time, did the math, and replied, "Probably around five o’clock, I’m starting early today."

Live streaming is definitely best done at night when both students and workers have rested and have more time to watch.

But since he had said yesterday that he would make up for what was owed, Liu Xin’an planned to start early today, which is at four o’clock in the afternoon by local time.

The game he was going to stream had already been chosen.

"Eh? That long from now?"

It’s only just past one o’clock now, a long way off from the time Liu Xin’an has planned.

"It’s not too bad, there’s preparation to do, and time will fly by."

"Preparation? What kind of preparation?"

"Setting up the equipment, tuning the game, I also need to familiarize myself with the game."

"Oh..." Okay, Bae Juhyun didn’t understand; this was a field completely alien to her.

"So I might leave you hanging here for a bit later, is that okay?"

Liu Xin’an had already given Bae Juhyun a heads-up yesterday, so she was psychologically ready. She smiled and shook her head to show that she didn’t mind.

"You do your thing, I’ll find something to do."

"Good, you’re welcome to play any game, just don’t delete my save files."

There are a few things in this world that Liu Xin’an feels are more important than his own life.

One is the presence of his family, and the other is his game save files.

The save file for each game is his hard work, and losing one would probably make him too upset to eat for two days.

Though she wasn’t very familiar with games, she wouldn’t do something as ridiculous as deleting someone else’s save files. Bae Juhyun snorted lightly, "I would never do such a thing. Don’t underestimate me."

"I truly appreciate it, Miss Bae Juhyun, who throws food out the window," Liu Xin’an teased.

His banter made her little face turn red, he was making fun of her clumsy game-playing again. That was too much!

———

Before long, it was five o’clock in the afternoon, and Liu Xin’an started his live stream punctually, but his voice was somewhat strange compared to when he had previously started his streams.

The reason was simple. In the working space where he was streaming, less than a meter behind him, a beautiful girl full of curiosity was gazing eagerly at his screen.

Liu Xin’an had overestimated his own thick skin. This feeling was akin to a web novel author being asked by a family member to share his own writing, which was awkward.

However, fortunately, Liu Xin’an was a professional broadcaster, and after the initial few minutes of awkwardness, he quickly returned to his usual live streaming demeanor.

He began to interact with the viewers’ comments naturally while immersing himself in the game’s world.

And Bae Juhyun, who had been ignored by Liu Xin’an from the start, was now propping her cheek with one hand, smilingly studying Liu Xin’an’s profile.

She didn’t understand Mandarin, nor the game, and she had observed everything there was to observe in such a small room.

So Juhyun, out of boredom, eventually turned her gaze to Liu Xin’an in front of her.

Clearly, Liu Xin’an, who was focused on his work, didn’t notice her gaze. Therefore, her admiring eyes became even more unrestrained.

Just as men like attractive women, handsome men also draw the attention of women.

And coincidentally, Liu Xin’an’s looks fit Bae Juhyun’s preferences perfectly.

He possessed a charm that was starkly different from the men of her own nation whom she was familiar with.

Liu Xin’an, a tall man, had a handsome face.

But unlike the attractiveness of most people from her nation that needed the support of hairstyle and atmosphere, Liu Xin’an wasn’t intentionally all dressed up right now but was sitting in front of the computer looking exactly how Bae Juhyun was most familiar with.

This also proved that Liu Xin’an’s facial features were indeed extraordinarily good-looking.

And with a healthy physique from years of working out, Bae Juhyun found herself unwittingly watching him with a bit of infatuation.

Luckily, Liu Xin’an had to speak during the live stream, and just then, the character he was controlling died on the spot due to a somewhat low-level mistake. An annoyed Liu Xin’an exclaimed, instantly awakening Bae Juhyun, who was "enchanted" by the diligent Liu Xin’an, from her daze.

She suddenly came to her senses, one hand covering her face, the other vigorously fanning her cheek to dispel the heat on it.

It’s just the suspension bridge effect!

Yes!

The suspension bridge effect!

She couldn’t possibly be falling for this guy!